How to unpin a tweet from your Twitter profile page

If you want to unpin a tweet from your Twitter page, you have two options.  You can either choose a new tweet to pin in its place, or you can unpin the tweet and not replace it with anything.

This guide will show you how to replace the current pinned tweet with a different one.  To just unpin the tweet and not replace it, follow the steps below.

To unpin a tweet (web browser):
- Click on your pinned tweet from your profile page (or open it directly from a link)
- Click on the three horizontal dots next to the heart icon
- Click on Unpin from profile page
- Click on Unpin

To unpin a tweet (Twitter iOS app):
- Open your pinned tweet from your profile page (or open it directly from a link)
- Tap the three horizontal dots next to the heart icon
- Tap Unpin from profile
- Tap Unpin

How to add HTTPS availability for your Blogger / Blogspot blog

If you use Google's Blogger (Blogspot) for blogging, you have the ability to allow your pages to be served securely over HTTPS.  However, your blog probably has this setting disabled by default.

Enabling the HTTPS availability setting is very easy, and will probably take you under a minute.  In addition to allowing a more secure connection for your readers, it may also increase your web traffic.  Users that prefer HTTPS connections over HTTP connections may now have more reason to visit your pages.  (The old HTTP links to your pages will still work, too.)

To add HTTPS capability to your Blogger pages:

- Login to your account at Blogger.com
- Click on the name of the blog whose settings you want to change
- Click Settings
- Scroll down until you see HTTPS Availability
- Click the down arrow next to No
- Select Yes

Google will automatically save the change and reload the settings page.  Note that this function will only be available for blogs using the Blogspot domain (ie. blogname.blogspot.com).

(Image courtesy of Pixabay)

How to pin a tweet to your Twitter profile page

Twitter allows you to pin a tweet to your profile page.  It can be a tweet you like, or a tweet you think other people will like, but you can choose any of your published tweets to pin.  If you already have a tweet pinned, pinning a new tweet will replace the current pinned tweet.


To pin a tweet using a web browser:

- Login to Twitter.com
- Navigate to the tweet you want to pin (either by pasting the link or finding the tweet from your profile page)
- Click on the icon with the three horizontal dots next to the heart icon
- Select Pin to your profile page
- The following message will be displayed:

- Select Pin

To pin a tweet from the Twitter app on an iOS device:

- Open the Twitter app
- Navigate to the tweet you want to pin
- Click on the icon with the three horizontal dots
- Select Pin to your profile
- The following message will be displayed:

- Select Pin

Mention It: new Chrome extension for Twitter users

Some Twitter users don't like the Moments tab.  If you're one of them, the Mention It web browser extension may be for you.

This free extension runs in the background of your Chrome browser, and when you are logged into Twitter, it quietly removes the Moments tab, and replaces it with a Mentions tab.

It doesn't affect any other aspect of the Twitter experience.  You can still get to your mentions from the Notifications tab if you want.  The only thing this extension does is take out the Moments link and put in a Mentions link (with a different icon).

Mention It can be downloaded from the Chrome Web Store.  Try it... if you don't like it, it's very easy to uninstall it.

Security community fighting back against ransomware

Ransomware has been popping up everywhere recently, causing private citizens, hospitals, and even police stations to pay up in Bitcoins or lose their files for good.

But the "good guys" are fighting back.  Two versions of ransomware, Jigsaw and Petya, have successfully been decrypted, and tools for decryption have been created.  These successes give hope to people whose computers have been infected with ransomware.

For more information on how to get Jigsaw off of an infected PC, see this Threatpost article.  For details on how to stop Petya, see the post here.

How to set up a legacy contact for your Facebook account

The Internet, while ever-changing, is a very permanent thing.  Even after you've passed on, your Facebook account will remain online.  Setting up a legacy contact will allow someone you trust to handle that account for you.  It only takes a minute or two to set up; this article will walk you through it.

To set up a legacy contact from your web browser, log in to your Facebook account and click on the down arrow icon in the upper right corner.  Select Settings, then select Security on the left side.

Select Legacy Contact, and start typing the name of the person you want to add.  Facebook will offer suggestions, and you can choose the person you want.  (It must be someone with whom you are currently friends.)  Click Add.

You will have the option to send that person a message informing them that you've selected them as your legacy contact.  You can use a preset message or write your own.  To skip this step, select Not Now; otherwise, compose your message and click Send.

To allow your legacy contact to downloads posts and other information from your account (ie. photos and videos that you posted) check the box under Data Archive Permission.  If you want your account to be deleted once you have passed on, check the box under Account Deletion.  Once you have finished, click Close.

How to enable developer options on your Android phone or tablet

Android devices include built-in developer options that are helpful for debugging and testing.  Some options include a visual cue to see exactly where a touch is landing on the device screen, an on-screen indicator of CPU usage, a display simulator with alternate screen sizes, and much more.

Revealing the developer options is simple to do.  Instructions are below, but can also be found many other places online, including at Android.com and in the Chrome Dev Editor getting started guide on GitHub.

To enable Developer Options on your Android phone or tablet:

- Go to Settings (typically accessible from the Home screen or notifications bar)
- Scroll down to About phone and tap it
- Scroll down to Build number and tap it seven times in a row
- Press the Back button or tap About phone at the top of the screen to go back to the Settings menu
- Select Developer Options (just above About phone) to see all of the available options

How to easily add transparency to an icon or graphic

Icons don't have to be extraordinary graphic endeavors, but a good icon can help your app or extension stand out, as well as build brand recognition.  Transparency (especially around the edges) makes many icons look more seamless and integrated.  If you want to add transparency to your icon, you can do it easily with Online Image Editor.

Adding transparency to your icon with Online Image Editor is simple, free, and should only take a couple of minutes:

- Navigate to Online Image Editor in your web browser

To open a file stored locally:
- Under the Upload tab near the bottom of the window, click Browse
- Find the file you want to work with and click Open
- Click Upload

To open a file from a URL:
- Click the From URL tab
- Type (or paste) the web address of the image file
- Click Upload

To start from scratch and create a new icon:
- Click the Create Canvas tab
- Choose your width, height, and background color
- Click Create Canvas

- Click on the Wizards tab
- Click Transparency

To make one color/area transparent:
- Click on the color or area in your image that you want to make transparent

To draw a transparent line:
- Select the radio button under Draw Transparent Line on the left
- Change the line thickness (optional)
- Draw a line over the image to apply the transparency

To make a transparent box:
- Select the radio button under Transparent Box on the left
- A red box will appear over your image; move it and resize it to the location and dimensions that you want
- Click Remove Area on the left

To save the file:
- Click Save on the left
- Choose Save Image Local
- If asked if you want to view or save the file, choose Save (otherwise, ignore this step)
- Browse to the folder where you want to save the image

- Click Save